Raptors follow blueprint of Golden State in romp
18-point, second-quarter hole, Golden State didn’t seriously threaten as its winning streak ended at four games. Ill-timed turnovers and 19 missed threepointers overshadowed a 30point, seven-rebound, fiveassist gem from Kevin Durant.
Most troubling for the Warriors was that, in one of the biggest matchups of the regular season, they lacked enthusiasm. Less than two weeks after Golden State’s overtime loss in Toronto, the Warriors were slow switching off screens and getting hands on shooters. The Raptors had 27 assists to only 11 turnovers as all five of their starters scored in double digits.
“There are some nights when you can just feel it: You just don’t have that edge,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s not an excuse. It’s just reality. We did not bring the required energy.”
Durant did his best to spearhead a comeback, riding a flurry of forays to the rim to 13 third-quarter points, only for six Golden State turnovers to nullify his effort. Fresh off routing the Clippers by 24 points without Leonard on Tuesday night, the Raptors executed the blueprint the Warriors try to follow: spread the floor, make the extra pass, limit mistakes.
It was another reminder of why many believe Toronto, not Golden State, boasts the most complete roster in the NBA.
“They’re pretty well-rounded,” Stephen Curry said. “They’ve shown different styles to win games. Tonight, they were obviously the better team. Everyone seemed to have confidence and was playing off each other really well. On our end, we just didn’t have it.”
After five years failing to parlay regular-season success into an NBA Finals appearance, the Raptors made a big move when they shipped DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected first-round pick to San Antonio for Leonard and guard Danny Green. Now, Toronto leads the league with a 23-7 record.
It is the only NBA team that ranks in the top seven in both offensive and defensive rating. With two All-Stars (Leonard and Kyle Lowry) and an elite supporting cast, Toronto has few, if any, glaring weaknesses.
“They’re not an up-andcoming team,” Durant said. “They’re here.”
Two weeks ago, when they weathered a 51-point masterpiece from Durant to escape Scotiabank Arena with an overtime win over the Warriors, the Raptors showcased resilience. But with Curry injured for that game, it was tough to put much stock in a Toronto victory.
The Warriors are at their best in the spring. After half a decade of postseason defeats, Toronto still must show that it has exorcized playoff demons.
There is also the fact that Golden State forward Andre Iguodala, a steadying force , missed his second straight game Wednesday with a hip injury. Oh, and Cousins — a four-time All-Star — will join the fold in the next month or two.
Asked if the Raptors have an edge in a potential Finals matchup after going 2-0 in the regular-season series, Kerr said, “I would think we would have the edge at this point now that they’ve kicked our butts twice. I know that, if (a Finals matchup) were to happen, we’d be ready to play.”